Cover for a bottle with a retention feature

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a cover for a bottle that includes a retention feature to allow a user to hold the bottle using a single digit of the user&#39;s hand once the cover is in place. Preferably the cover is designed so that it can be slipped over a bottle containing e-liquid for refilling of electronic cigarettes. The cover is a form fitting sleeve and permits visualization of the fluid level in the bottle through openings in the sleeve or by using a semi-transparent material for the sleeve. The retention feature, preferably, can be shaped into a loop shape by the user and allows a user to slip at least one digit through the retention feature thereby permitting the user to simultaneously hold the bottle and a cartridge, cartomizer or clearomizer in one hand and to use the other hand to fill the cartridge, cartomizer or clearomizer of the electronic cigarette with the e-liquid.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/019,507, filed on Jul. 1, 2014.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

NONE.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to a cover for use with bottles,preferably with bottles that are used to refill cartridges of electroniccigarettes; the cover includes a retention feature to enable a user tohold the bottle and the cartridge to be refilled in one hand whilefilling the cartridge using the other hand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly more popular as newusers discover them and many cigarette smokers convert to use of them asopposed to tobacco cigarettes. These products are also known as e-cigs,personal vaporizers (PV), and electronic nicotine delivery systems(ENDS). Throughout the present specification the term electroniccigarette will be used to refer to all of these devices. Electroniccigarettes are battery-powered vaporizers that vaporize a liquid toproduce a vapor that resembles smoke. The liquid is generally a mixtureof propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine and a flavor. Someliquids are sold that do not contain nicotine and some containpolyethylene glycol 400. The liquids are known by various names such ase-liquid, e-juice, smoke juice, and eliquid. Throughout the presentspecification and claims the term e-liquid will be used to refer tothese liquids. The three major components of an electronic cigarette arethe battery portion, an atomizer, and a cartridge. The battery portioncontains the battery, the circuitry for the device, an airflow sensor,usually an on/off button, and an LED light to indicate that the unit isin use. Some battery portions are designed to be automatic and areturned on as a user draws on the electronic cigarette, thus an on/offbutton is not required. The atomizer contains the heating element thatis heated by the battery to convert the e-liquid from a liquid into avapor that is inhaled by a user. It also usually includes a wickingmaterial to pull the liquid from a cartridge into the atomizer. Thecartridge is used to hold the e-liquid. In a “cartomizer” style devicethe atomizer and the cartridge are a single unit wherein the cartridgepart surrounds the atomizer and includes some form of a wickingmaterial, generally a polyfoam of some sort, that surrounds the atomizerand an air passage. In another variation a “clearomizer” style device isa combination of a clear tank to hold the e-liquid and an atomizer thatis inserted into the tank. The atomizer includes a wicking material topull e-liquid into the atomizer. In use, the battery is activated by theuser or by the air flow sensor as the user draws air through the device.The battery very rapidly heats the heating element in the atomizer whichvaporizes the e-liquid brought to it by the wicking material and thevapor is delivered to the user.

As the electronic cigarette is used the e-liquid is consumed andeventually depleted. Many of the cartridges, the cartomizers, and theclearomizers can be refilled multiple times with additional e-liquid.Many suppliers sell bottles of e-liquid for use in refilling cartridges,cartomizers and clearomizers. The bottles generally range in capacityfrom 5 milliliters to 120 milliliters, most commonly from 15 to 30milliliters. The bottles have a lid that may include a built ineyedropper for transferring the e-liquid from the bottle to thecartridge, cartomizer, or clearomizer. Other bottles require utilizationof a syringe and needle to transfer the e-liquid from the bottle to thecartridge or include a tip to deliver the e-liquid. Simultaneouslymanipulating the cartridge, bottle and transfer device can be difficultfor users. It is desirable to provide a method and device which wouldenable a user to more easily hold and manipulate these three components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general terms, this invention provides a cover that can be slippedover an e-liquid bottle and that holds the bottle securely. The coverallows for visualization of the fluid level in the bottle of e-liquid.This is accomplished through use of openings in the cover or by virtueof the at least semi-transparent nature of the cover. The cover furthercomprises a retention feature that, in one embodiment, can be shapedinto a loop shape and that allows a user to slip at least one digit ofthe user's hand through the retention feature thereby permitting theuser to easily simultaneously hold the bottle and a cartridge,cartomizer or clearomizer in one hand and to manipulate a transferdevice with the other hand to fill the cartridge, cartomizer orclearomizer.

In one embodiment the present invention is a cover for a bottlecomprising: a sleeve, the sleeve having a top opening and at least oneof a side opening and a bottom opening, the sleeve capable of acceptingand securely retaining an e-liquid bottle within the sleeve; the sleeveformed from a material comprising a textile, an elastomeric material, asemi-flexible plastic, a leather, or a mixture thereof; and the sleevefurther comprising a retention feature capable of forming a loop, a sizeof the loop being adjustable and for accepting at least one digit of auser's hand.

In one embodiment the present invention is a cover for an e-liquidbottle comprising: a sleeve having a top opening and at least one of aside opening and a bottom opening, the sleeve having an interior contourshaped to conform to an exterior shape of a portion of an e-liquidbottle, the sleeve for accepting and securely retaining an e-liquidbottle within the sleeve; the sleeve formed from a material comprising atextile, an elastomeric material, a semi-flexible plastic, a leather, ora mixture thereof; and the sleeve further having a retention featurecomprising a projection and a hole.

In one embodiment the present invention is a cover for an e-liquidbottle comprising: a sleeve having a top opening and at least one of aside opening and a bottom opening, the sleeve having an interior contourshaped to conform to an exterior shape of a portion of an e-liquidbottle, the sleeve for accepting and securely retaining an e-liquidbottle within the sleeve; the sleeve formed from a material comprising atextile, an elastomeric material, a semi-flexible plastic, a leather, ora mixture thereof; and the sleeve further having a size adjustableretention feature comprising a strip of material capable of forming aloop, the loop for accepting at least one digit of a user's hand therebysecuring the sleeve to a user's hand.

These and other features and advantages of this invention will becomemore apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed descriptionof a preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detaileddescription are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side view of an assembly of a bottle with a cover accordingto one embodiment of the present invention on the bottle;

FIG. 1B is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 1A rotated 90 degrees;

FIG. 2 is a tilted side view of the assembly of FIG. 1A to show a bottomopening of the cover;

FIG. 3A is a side view of an assembly of a bottle with a cover accordingto another embodiment of the present invention on the bottle and shows aretention feature formed into a loop;

FIG. 3B is a view of FIG. 3A showing the retention feature not formedinto a loop;

FIG. 3C is another side view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3B; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of another embodiment of the assembly shown inFIG. 3A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

The present invention is directed toward a cover for a small bottlegenerally having a capacity of from 5 to 120 milliliters, and mostespecially for a bottle of an e-liquid. The cover holds the bottle in asecure fashion, permits a user to see the level of a fluid in thebottle, and includes a retention feature to allow a user to hold thebottle using a single digit of the user's hand. The cover allows a userto simultaneously hold the bottle and an e-cigarette cartridge,cartomizer, or clearomizer in one hand while filling the cartridge,cartomizer, or clearomizer with e-liquid from the bottle using the otherhand. The retention feature is adjustable to fit a user's digit(s) andis readily releasable. The cover also provides protection to the bottlein the event that the bottle is dropped.

FIG. 1A is a side view of an assembly 10 of a bottle 30 with a cover 20over the bottle 30. The cover 20 includes a sleeve 22 that has at leastone opening 24 in the side. The opening 24 permits a user to see thelevel of a liquid in the bottle 30 and can also serve as a way to slipthe cover 20 onto the bottle 30. Preferably the sleeve 22 includes twoopenings 24 opposite each other on the sides. The sleeve 22 can alsoinclude a design such as a logo 26. Depending on the material of thesleeve 22 the logo 26 can be embedded into the sleeve 22, embossed ontothe sleeve 22, or applied to the outside of the sleeve 22. The sleeve 22includes an opening 28 in the top of the sleeve 22 to allow the bottle30 and a lid 32 to protrude from the sleeve 22. In the embodiment shownthe lid 32 includes a built in eye dropper 34 to serve as a transferdevice to transfer liquid from the bottle 30 to another location. Thebottle 30 can also be provided with a lid 32 not having a built in eyedropper 34, in these embodiments a separate transfer device is required.This separate transfer device can take the form of a tip on the lid 32that allows for flow of the e-liquid out of the bottle 30 or a separatesyringe and needle to allow a user to withdraw e-liquid from the bottle30. FIG. 1B shows the assembly of FIG. 1A from a rotated view. FIG. 2shows a tilted side view of the assembly 10 of FIG. 1A. The view in FIG.2 shows that preferably the sleeve 22 includes a bottom opening 29. Thebottom opening 29 in combination with the top opening 28 permits abottle 30 to be inserted into the sleeve 22 from the bottom opening 29.In other embodiments the sleeve 22 may have a closed bottom with nobottom opening 29. In these embodiments the bottle 30 is inserted intothe sleeve 22 using the side opening 24 and top opening 28.

The sleeve 22 can be formed from a large variety of materials includingany textiles, elastomeric material, semi-flexible plastics, leather andmixtures of these. The sleeve 22 is sized to fit the specific bottle 30size. In one embodiment the sleeve 22 is formed from an elastomericmaterial comprising silicone rubber, a polyisoprene, polybutadiene,polyisobutylene, polyurethane, neoprene rubber, ethylene acryliccopolymer, butyl rubber, styrene butadiene copolymer, nitrile rubber,ethylene propylene copolymer, ethylene propylene diene rubber,epichlorohydrin rubber, polyacrylic rubber, and mixtures thereof. Thesleeve 22 needs to be flexible enough to allow the bottle 30 to beinserted into it and to hold the bottle 30 securely. Textiles caninclude cloth, hemp, canvas, and faux leathers. If the sleeve 22 isformed from a semi-flexible plastic the plastic has to have enough giveto allow for insertion of the bottle 30. The bottom opening 29 can besized and shaped to include a small lip as shown in FIG. 2 to ensurethat whatever the material of the sleeve 22 it will hold the bottle 30.Preferably the sleeve 22 is formed from an elastomeric material so thatthe sleeve 22 is easily moldable and that it has sufficient give toallow for insertion of the bottle 30 and then a return to its originalsize to hold the bottle 30 securely. As shown in FIGS. 1A to 4, thesleeve 22 has an interior contour that mirrors the outer contour of theportion of the bottle 30 retained inside the sleeve 22. Thus, the sleeve22 form fits the bottle 30. This matching of the shape of the bottle 30to the sleeve 22 enables the sleeve 22 to conform to the shape of thebottle 30 and to hold it securely. As discussed above the outside of thesleeve 22 can include a logo or design. The design might be a companylogo, an advertisement, a customer ordered design, or other promotionaldesigns. Depending on the nature of the sleeve 22 material the designcan be embossed, painted, silkscreened on, or applied in another fashionas known in the art. The sleeve 22 can also be designed with no openings24 on the sides. In such an embodiment the bottle 30 is inserted intothe sleeve 22 through the bottom opening 29. In this embodimentpreferably the sleeve 22 is formed from a material that is at leastsemi-transparent or fully transparent to allow a user to see the levelof fluid in the bottle 30.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, preferably the cover 20 includes a retentionfeature 40. Preferably, the retention feature 40 is adjustable by a userand designed to accommodate one or more digits on a user's hand. Theretention feature 40 allows a user to hold the bottle 30 and other itemssuch as a cartridge, cartomizer, or clearoimzer on one hand while usinga transfer device in the other hand to transfer e-liquid from the bottle30 into the cartridge, cartomizer, or clearoimzer. Preferably theretention feature 40 is formed from the same material as the sleeve 22.Preferably the sleeve 22 and the retention feature 40 are molded as asingle piece as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. The retention feature 40 shown inFIGS. 3A-3C includes a strip 42 having a plurality of beads 44 on thestrip 42 and at one end of the strip 42 a hole 46 located in aprojection 47, preferably molded into the sleeve 22. As shown, theprojection 47 and hole 46 form a portion of the retention feature 40.The diameter of the hole 46 is close to, and preferably less than, thatof a diameter of the beads 44 and the diameter of the strip 42 toprovide resistance to movement of the beads 44 and strip 42 through thehole 46. The retention feature 40 is secured at one end to the sleeve 22as shown and is adjusted and used by inserting an end of the strip 42into the hole 46 and then the beads 44 hold the strip 42 in the hole 46to form the strip 42 into the shape of loop as shown in FIG. 3A. Thediameter of the beads 44 and strip 42 relative to the diameter of thehole 46 provides resistance to removal of the strip 42 from the hole 46.In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A the strip 42 includes only a singlehole 46. The retention feature 40 could also be designed as a moretraditional beaded cable tie design as known in the art wherein a holeand a slot are used instead of just a single hole 46 in the retentionfeature 40. In such design, the hole has a larger diameter than thediameter of the beads and the strip 42 is first inserted into the hole.Then a part of the strip 42 between two beads 44 is pressed into theslot to hold the beaded cable tie in place at the desired length. Such adesign could be used in place of the design shown in FIG. 3A-3C. Inanother embodiment the retention feature could comprise a strip 42having a hook and loop fastener arrangement such as Velcro® for closurepurposes. In such a design the strip 42 could include both the hookportion and the loop portion or one of the portions could be located onthe outside of the sleeve 22. In another embodiment the strip 42 couldinclude a snap closure, again the strip 42 could include both portionsof the snap closure or one portion could be located on the sleeve 22. Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the only difference from the embodimentshown in FIGS. 3A to 3C is that the hole 46 and projection 47 are in adifferent orientation from that shown in FIGS. 3A to 3B. This means theloop formed by inserting the strip 42 into the hole 46 has a differentorientation from that shown in FIG. 3A. Either embodiment provides thedesired user adjustable retention feature 40 with the embodiment shownin FIG. 3A being more preferable. As described above, the strip 42 inFIG. 4 could also be a more traditional beaded cable tie design using ahole and a slot for retention of the strip 42. In another embodiment theretention feature 40 could be permanent and non-adjustable. Such aretention feature 40 could be molded into the sleeve 22 or comprise astrip 42 of material permanently attached to the sleeve 22. This type ofretention feature 40 is generally less desirable than the adjustableversion.

In use of the cover 20 a user would first insert the bottle 30 into thesleeve 22 to retain the bottle 30. When using the bottle 30 and sleeve22 combination to fill a cartridge, cartomizer or clearomizer a userwould use the retention feature 40 and one or more digits of the user'shand to secure the bottle 30 in the user's hand. After securing theretention feature 40 the user would open the bottle 30 and use eitherthe included eye dropper 34 or another transfer device in the oppositehand to transfer e-liquid from the bottle into the cartridge,cartomizer, or clearomizer which is held in the same hand as the bottle30. The cover 20 provides a quick, secure and reliable way to manipulatethe multiple items needed to refill a cartridge, cartomizer, orclearomizer of an electronic cigarette.

The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with therelevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather thanlimiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosedembodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do comewithin the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legalprotection afforded this invention can only be determined by studyingthe following claims.

We claim:
 1. A cover for a bottle comprising: a sleeve, said sleevehaving a top opening and at least one of a side opening and a bottomopening, said sleeve capable of accepting and securely retaining ane-liquid bottle within said sleeve; said sleeve formed from a materialcomprising a textile, an elastomeric material, a semi-flexible plastic,a leather, or a mixture thereof; and said sleeve further comprising aretention feature capable of forming a loop, a size of said loop beingadjustable and for accepting at least one digit of a user's hand.
 2. Acover for a bottle as recited in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is formedfrom an elastomer comprising at least one of silicone rubber, apolyisoprene, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polyurethane, neoprenerubber, ethylene acrylic copolymer, butyl rubber, styrene butadienecopolymer, nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene copolymer, ethylenepropylene diene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, polyacrylic rubber, andmixtures thereof.
 3. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid bottle has a capacity of 120 milliliters or less and wherein saidsleeve has an interior contour that matches an exterior contour of aportion of said bottle.
 4. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 1,wherein said sleeve material is at least semi-transparent and permitsvisualization of the contents of said bottle when said bottle isretained in said sleeve.
 5. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 1wherein said retention feature comprises a strip of material andincludes a hook and a loop attachment feature to form said loop.
 6. Acover for a bottle as recited in claim 5, wherein said strip of materialincludes one of said hook and said loop attachment feature and saidsleeve includes the other of said hook and said loop attachment feature.7. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 5, wherein said strip ofmaterial includes both of said hook and said loop attachment feature. 8.A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 1 wherein said retentionfeature comprises a strip that includes a plurality of beads, a firstend and a second end; said first end having a hole and being attached tosaid sleeve; said second end for threading through said hole and saidbeads providing resistance to removal of said strip from said holethereby forming said loop.
 9. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim8, wherein said strip comprises a beaded cable tie and wherein a slot islocated adjacent to said hole, said hole for threading said second endof said cable tie through and said slot retaining said cable tie at adesired length in the shape of a loop.
 10. A cover for an e-liquidbottle comprising: a sleeve having a top opening and at least one of aside opening and a bottom opening, said sleeve having an interiorcontour shaped to conform to an exterior shape of a portion of ane-liquid bottle, said sleeve for accepting and securely retaining ane-liquid bottle within said sleeve; said sleeve formed from a materialcomprising a textile, an elastomeric material, a semi-flexible plastic,a leather, or a mixture thereof; and said sleeve further having aretention feature comprising a projection and a hole.
 11. A cover for abottle as recited in claim 10, wherein said sleeve is formed from anelastomer comprising at least one of silicone rubber, a polyisoprene,polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, polyurethane, neoprene rubber, ethyleneacrylic copolymer, butyl rubber, styrene butadiene copolymer, nitrilerubber, ethylene propylene copolymer, ethylene propylene diene rubber,epichlorohydrin rubber, polyacrylic rubber, and mixtures thereof.
 12. Acover for a bottle as recited in claim 10, wherein said bottle has acapacity of 120 milliliters or less.
 13. A cover for a bottle as recitedin claim 10 wherein said retention feature comprises a strip thatincludes a plurality of beads and wherein a first end of said strip isconnected to said projection, wherein a second end of said strip isthreaded through said hole and said beads provide resistance to removalof said strip from said hole thereby forming a loop having an adjustablesize and being capable of accommodating at least one digit of a user'shand.
 14. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 13, wherein saidstrip comprises a beaded cable tie and wherein in a slot is locatedadjacent to said hole, said hole for threading said second end of saidcable tie through and said slot retaining said cable tie at a desiredlength in the shape of a loop.
 15. A cover for a bottle as recited inclaim 10 wherein said retention feature further comprises a loop of amaterial having a fixed diameter and being secured to said projectionthrough said hole.
 16. A cover for an e-liquid bottle comprising: asleeve having a top opening and at least one of a side opening and abottom opening, said sleeve having an interior contour shaped to conformto an exterior shape of a portion of an e-liquid bottle, said sleeve foraccepting and securely retaining an e-liquid bottle within said sleeve;said sleeve formed from a material comprising a textile, an elastomericmaterial, a semi-flexible plastic, a leather, or a mixture thereof; andsaid sleeve further having a size adjustable retention featurecomprising a strip of material capable of forming a loop, said loop foraccepting at least one digit of a user's hand thereby securing saidsleeve to a user's hand.
 17. A cover as recited in claim 16 wherein saidretention feature further comprises a hook and a loop attachment featureto form said loop from said strip of material.
 18. A cover for a bottleas recited in claim 16 wherein said retention feature further comprisesa strip of material that includes a plurality of beads, a first end anda second end; said first end having a hole and being attached to saidsleeve; said second end for threading through said hole and said beadsproviding resistance to removal of said strip from said hole therebyforming said loop.
 19. A cover for a bottle as recited in claim 18,wherein said strip of material comprises a beaded cable tie and whereina slot is located adjacent to said hole, said hole for threading saidsecond end of said cable tie through and said slot retaining said cabletie at a desired length in the shape of a loop.
 20. A cover for a bottleas recited in claim 16 wherein said retention feature further comprisesa strip of material that includes a snap closure, said snap closureforming a loop from said strip of material when said snap closure isclosed.